The present invention relates to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus used as an external storage of a computer, which has a sufficient strength and can be detachably mounted on a computer body.
In recent years, the storage capacity of magnetic recording and reproducing apparatuses used as external storages of portable computers has been improved remarkably. In response to trends towards more compact and lighter portable computers, lighter and more compact magnetic recording and reproducing apparatuses which can be detachably mounted on a computer body are in demand. As described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,335, a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus incorporated in a computer body of especially, a so-called notebook-sized computer is as thin as less than 20 mm.
Conventionally, when a casing of the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is mounted on a computer body, a mounting portion of the computer body is so formed as to be elastic or shock-absorbing rubber is used on the casing in Order to not only eliminate positional error between a mounting face of the computer body and a fixing portion of the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus but minimize strain of the casing. Since disturbances such as vibrations, impacts, etc. are prevented from being transferred to the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus to some extent by such procedures, the quantity of the disturbances applied to the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is not so large.
However, the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is secured in the computer body. Therefore, even if data has been recorded on the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus up to its full storage capacity, a user cannot replace the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus with a new one by himself.
On the other hand, in response to the popularity of portable computers, a need for compact, e.g., 2.5", fixed storages is growing. However, since the storage capacity of such compact fixed storages is small, a demand has arisen that the compact fixed storages be replaceable. When the fixed storage is detachably mounted on a computer body, the magnitude of disturbances such as vibrations, impacts, etc. applied to the fixed storage during its nonoperative state is far larger than that of the fixed storage secured in the computer body. When an extremely large impact is applied to the fixed storage during its nonoperative state, a strain is produced in a casing of the fixed storage, thereby constituting an obstacle to high-density magnetic recording.